Continuing our in-depth interview with Alex Cheng, we dive into the community and environment at HVS Conservatory and in Los Angeles and how they each have shaped his experiences, both in terms of learning and performance opportunities.
How would you describe the community here at the conservatory? What does it feel like to be part of this group of students and mentors?
The community at the conservatory is just absolutely phenomenal. Just the ability to be in a room with so many creative people who all have so many different perspectives and strengths and talents, it was a priceless experience.
I made so many amazing connections with all the peers and it was a very familial experience, a very uplifting experience, especially in performance class because we all know the struggles—the ups and downs, the journey of being a performer and it never really felt judgmental. It always felt like it was a safe environment to try new things and and to fail even if your voice is cracking or you’re missing the notes or you’re just so nervous that you can’t embody the performance, it’s still okay because you can talk to the peer group afterwards and they’re going to tell you about how they’re experiencing the same thing too.
We’re all together in the ups and downs and that was part of what made HVSC so special to me.
And that’s not to mention the mentors. The mentors are just absolutely phenomenal, sometimes firm, sometimes rough, sometimes you will be pushed to break a boundary, but it’s all in love. It’s all in good faith, and the team of mentors is so incredible because they all have different attitudes and styles and perspectives and at the end of the day, as the student, you are allowed to pick and choose what works for you. And because there is such a wealth of knowledge, you end up with just this amazing mosaic, this amazing collage of tools and perspectives that you can use to help you further in your journey.
Los Angeles is known for its vibrant entertainment industry. How has the city's culture shaped your experience as a student here, both in terms of learning and performance opportunities?
I have to come off the bat and say that I did have a difficult time in Los Angeles in general. To me it was a very intimidating place. I’m a very energetically sensitive person and it just felt so dense at times, it felt isolating at times, and that was very difficult. I got to experience a lot of the darkness in Los Angeles, but on the flip side I did get to experience so many incredible opportunities.
I can think of a few, the first that comes to my mind right off the bat is just the performance opportunities. I got the opportunity to perform at the Hotel Cafe twice in LA, and the Hotel Cafe has had some amazing artists come through and even be discovered there—Adele and Brandy Carlile and Mac Miller and the list goes on and on and so the opportunity to just sink my teeth in and and be able to walk in those doors and perform on that stage is just, what a dream, what an opportunity.
I got to take advantage of many of the dance opportunities in LA as well. I had a lot of fun going to Millennium dance studio and Movement Lifestyle dance studio. Those dance opportunities it’s hard to find them like that anywhere other in the world than Los Angeles.
The last opportunity that comes to mind that really changed my life was one of the mentors Stefano Langone invited me out to see him at a very nice bar. It was a party actually at this bar called Arden in West Hollywood and he was performing a gig for all of these actors and actresses and directors. He was with the live band and he was doing some jazz standards. He was doing some more contemporary songs from artists like Bruno Mars as well.
the thing that I took away the most was just watching this mentor of mine get up on stage and just completely blow away the crowd.
I watched him bring everyone into his world, create this incredible moment and it just gave me context as to what it’s like to really live that lifestyle, to be that artist.
The venue was incredible and the energy was incredible and I could see potentially myself one day in the future doing something like that just because I gotten to work with Stefano so much up to that moment to see him do it live brought the whole experience to life, so that was a truly incredible opportunity as well.
Click here to learn more about Alex and his experience with HVS Conservatory.
Listen to his debut single below, produced by faculty Nikki Flores.
At HVS Conservatory, you can develop the necessary tools to succeed in the music industry. Based in Los Angeles, our faculty of music industry expert and mentors help to coach aspiring artists by passing on real-world training from their personal experiences alongside necessary musical training, including courses in songwriting and performance. Check out our schedule of masterclasses and free community events, including acoustic sessions, seasonal open house events, and artist showcases.